Folding door hanger with emergency release

ABSTRACT

This invention relates generally to hanger devices for suspending door panels and the like, and more particularly to the combination with a hanger structure of a manually shiftable latch device to facilitate attachment and detachment of a top-hung door panel. The present application discloses a hanger device of the type which includes a carriage movable within an upper track and having means in the form of a depending pin for accommodating a complementary fitting attached to the upper margin of the door panel. The fitting attached to the upper edge of the panel includes an open-ended slot for receiving the lower extremity of the above-mentioned carriage pin. A pivotally supported latch member, when in one shifted position permits lateral insertion of the carriage pin within the open-ended slot, and when in another shifted position prevents lateral movement or dislodgement of the pin from the slot. This latch device includes a handle member projecting beyond a bounding plane of the door which may be manually manipulated to move the latch member between the two above-mentioned positions.

' United States Patent 11 1 Foltz et al.

1451 Aug. 20, 1974 1 FOLDING DOOR HANGER WITH EMERGENCY RELEASE [75] Inventors: Robert E. Foltz; Clarence B. Riser;

Kurt II. Granzow, all of Sterling, 111.

[73] Assignee: Lawrence Brothers, Inc., Sterling,

[22] Filed: June 11, 1973 21 Appl. No; 369,110

Related US. Application Data 1 Continuation of Ser. No. 141.248. May 7. 1971.

abandoned.

[52] US. Cl 16/97, 16/146, 24/223, 292/DIG. 20 [51] Int. Cl E05d 13/02 [58] Field of Search 16/97, 105, 146; 292/DIG. 20, 103; 24/211 M, 223

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,175 11/1883 Teriault 24/223 868,082 11/1907 1,043,177 1l/1912 Waibel 24/223 X 1,294,044 2/1919 Buckwalter et al 16/146 1,304,454 5/1919 Carlisle 16/146 1,386,671 8/1921 Zych 292/D1G. 20 1,399,177 12/1921 Wiernikowski 1. 292/D1G. 20 1,890,912 12/1932 Momm 292/103 X 2,957,197 10/1960 Johnson, Jr.... 3,193,871 7/1965 Foltz 3,479,682 ll/1969 McNinch 16/97 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner Attorney, A gent. or F irm-Olson. Trexler, Wolters, Bushnell & Fosse Ltd.

[57] ABSTRACT This invention relates generally to hanger devices for suspending door panels and the like, and more particularly to the combination with a hanger structure of a manually shiftable latch device to facilitate attachment and detachment of a top-hung door panel. The present application discloses a hanger device of the type which includes a carriage movable within an upper track and having means in the form of a depending pin for accommodating a complementary fitting attached to the upper margin of the door panel. The fitting attached to the upper edge of the panel includes an open-ended slot for receiving the lower extremity of the above-mentioned carriage pin. A pivotally supported latch member, when in one shifted position permits lateral insertion of the carriage pin within the open-ended slot, and when in another shifted position prevents lateral movement or dislodgement of the pin from the slot. This latch device includes a handle member projecting beyond a bounding plane of the door which may be manually manipulated to move the latch member between the two above-mentioned positions. 7

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures FOLDING DOOR HANGER WITH EMERGENCY, RELEASE REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of US. application Ser. No. 141,248, filed May 7, I971, now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an important object of the present invention to provide, in association with the upper edge of a door panel, a novel arrangement for facilitating the manual attachment and detachment with respect to a door guide or an upper door-supporting carriage.

More specifically, the invention contemplates means of the type referred to above whereby a latch arm may be manually shifted between two positions; namely, a latched position and an unlatched position.

The present invention contemplates a latching device of the type referred to above, which lends itself for pivotal support by a bracket or fitting carried along the upper edge of a door panel.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a latch arm as set forth above in association with novel means for securing said arm against unintentional loosemng.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing, and other objects and advantages, will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a hanger device which is representative of one embodiment of the invention secured to the upper edge of a door panel and suspended from a shiftable carriage device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the bracket and latch member shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bracket and latch member of FIG. 3 associated with the upper edge of a door panel, said latch member beingshown in its unlatched position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 disclosing the latch member in its latched position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various views, it will be seen that one embodiment of the hanger device contemplated by the present invention is shown in FIGS. I to 7 inclusive and is designated generally by the numeral 12b.

The hanger device 12b includes a carriage 14b equipped with rollers 16b adapted to be guided within a suitable track 18b, FIG. 2. The lower extremity of a pin 20b is provided with a flange member 28b and a second axially spaced flange member b. A cylindrical pin or shank section'32b and'an adjacent shank section 2 33b are positioned intermediate the flanges 28b and 30b.

.The hanger device 12b also includes a bracket 22b secured to the upper edge of a complementary door panel 24b by means of screws 26b. The intermediate section of the bracket 22b, like the previously described bracket 22, is deflected upwardly to provide space between the bracket and the upper door edge for accommodating the flange member 28b. An openended slot 34b is provided in the bracket 22b to accommodate the shank sections 32b and 33b. Particular attention is directed to the design of a latch member designated generally by the numeral 36b, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. A stud or shank member 38b depends from the underside of a latching member 36b and is accommodated by a complementary aperture 40b in the bracket member 22b. This aperture 40b is positioned in substantial central alignment with the longitudinal slot 34b. The latching member 34b is provided with a manually engageable handle 42b adapted to project beyond a bounding plane of the door member 24b when in latched position (see FIG. 1).

When in latched position a recess 46b in the latch member 36b is adapted to accommodate a cylindrical pin section 32b positioned between the flange members 28b and 30b. The recess 46b defines slightly more than a semi-circular'edge or margin, and asection A of the member 36b must be snapped over the cylindrical pin section 32b in order to effect complete association of the shank section 32b with the recess 46b, as shown in FIG. 5. In other words, the distance B shown in FIG. 4 is slightly less than the diameter of the pin section 32b, thereby necessitating the section A to be sprung over the cylindrical pin portion 32b. Thus, forces acting transversely of the door panel will not have a tendency to loosen the latching member 36b. This past center arrangement precludes the member 36b from becoming unlatched when the supported door panel 24b is subjected to lateral forces.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention contemplates latching means for door hangers which may be manually controlled. The latching member per se is very inexpensive to produce and to this end it has been found practical to employ conventional plastic molding and forming methods to produce the device as a single or integral unit. It will also be apparent from the foregoing description that the latching device contemplated by the present invention adapts itself for use with brackets in which the open ended slots are uniform in width, or to brackets equipped with slots having a relatively narrow entering portion which communicates with an enlarged inner or closed extremity. The latching means contemplated hereby is particularly applicable to bi-folding type doors in instances where it is important to provide emergency door releasing means. Thus, for example, in a hospital room such as a toilet room equipped with bifolding type doors, should a patient inadvertently block the panels and prevent folding movement thereof, the latching device of the present invention enables immediate release of one of the panels. This makes it possible to then swing both panels outwardly as a unit, thereby assuring access.

The above described emergency release latch device may also be used in association with a folding door unit equipped with a guide or guide roller which doesnot in fact support the weight of the door, but serves only to guide the upper margin of a door panel in a track. In such instances the above described emergency release latching device may be used. It will also be apparent from the foregoing description that the free extremity of the latching member is in the shape of a hook. Thus, this hook provides the shank accommodating recess in the latching member. It has been found practical to employ suitable plastic material in the production of the latching member. Such material exhibits sufficient firm resiliency to permit the hook of the latching member to be snapped over the periphery of the shank to be accommodated thereby. In fact, the edge of the hook which defines the shank accommodating recess or notch is generally circular and extends for a distance greater than the semicircular circumference of the latch pin or shank.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A guide device for the upper margins of sliding doors and the like including: vertically disposed shank means, the upper extremity thereof having means for attachment to a horizontally shiftable carriage; elongate shank accommodating plate means for attachment to the upper margin of a door member, said plate means having an open-ended shank accommodating slot, the longitudinal center line of which extends transversely of said elongate plate means; shoulder means at the lower extremity of said shank means for underlying said plate means in the vicinity of the closed extremity of said slot, a circumferential, peripheral shank section disposed above said shoulder means having a diameter to permit lateral association with said slot; a pivotable latch member mounted on said plate means and having an elongate handle portion, a mounting portion disposed generally transverse to said handle portion, and a hook portion defining a shank receiving recess and disposed adjacent one end of said handle portion, the other free end of said handle portion disposed remote from said hook portion extending in a direction opposite to that which said shank accommodating slot opens, means pivotally mounting said latch member on the upper side of said plate means for movement between latched and unlatched positions,- with the hook portion projecting into engagement with the shank section when in latched position, the width of the open side of said shank receiving recess in said hook portion being slightly less than the diameter of said shank section requiring the free extremity of the hook portion to yield slightly to accommodate the shank section yieldably to counteract unintended pivotal movement of the latch member from said latched position, the pivotal axis of said mounting means extending normal to the plate means and being disposed in substantial alignment with an extension of the longitudinal center line of said slot and being located closely adjacent to the longitudinal edge of the plate means disposed oppositely with respect to the open end of said shank accommodating slot, and said pivotal axis also being laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal center line of said elongate handle portion, thereby facilitating manipulation of said handle portion for movement of said latch member to said unlatched position.

2. A guide device for the upper margins of sliding doors and the like as set forth in claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion of the longitudinal edge of the plate means oppositely disposed from said slot is increased in width to accommodating the mounting portion of said latch member.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said shank receiving recess defined by said hook portion is generally offset with regard to and disposed generally intermediate of the pivotal axis of said latch member and the longitudinal center line of said handle portion. 

1. A guide device for the upper margins of sliding doors and the like including: vertically disposed shank means, the upper extremity thereof having means for attachment to a horizontally shiftable carriage; elongate shank accommodating plate means for attachment to the upper margin of a door member, said plate means having an open-ended shank accommodating slot, the longitudinal center line of which extends transversely of said elongate plate means; shoulder means at the lower extremity of said shank means for underlying said plate means in the vicinity of the closed extremity of said slot, a circumferential, peripheral shank section disposed above said shoulder means having a diameter to permit lateral association with said slot; a pivotable latch member mounted on said plate means and having an elongate handle portion, a mounting portion disposed generally transverse to said handle portion, and a hook portion defining a shank receiving recess and disposed adjacent one end of said handle portion, the other free end of said handle portion disposed remote from said hook portion extending in a direction opposite to that which said shank accommodating slot opens, means pivotally mounting said latch member on the upper side of said plate means for movement between latched and unlatched positions, with the hook portion projecting into engagement with the shank section when in latched position, the width of the open side of said shank receiving recess in said hook portion being slightly less than the diameter of said shank section requiring the free extremity of the hook portion to yield slightly to accommodate the shank section yieldably to counteract unintended pivotal movement of the latch member from said latched position, the pivotal axis of said mounting means extending normal to the plate means and being disposed in substantial alignment with an extension of the longitudinal center line of said slot and being located closely adjacent to the longitudinal edge of the plate means disposed oppositely with respect to the open end of said shank accommodating slot, and said pivotal axis also being laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal center line of said elongate handle portion, thereby facilitating manipulation of said handle portion for movement of said latch member to said unlatched position.
 2. A guide device for the upper margins of sliding doors and the like as set forth in claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion of the longitudinal edge of the plate means oppositely disposed from saiD slot is increased in width to accommodating the mounting portion of said latch member.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said shank receiving recess defined by said hook portion is generally offset with regard to and disposed generally intermediate of the pivotal axis of said latch member and the longitudinal center line of said handle portion. 